Dennis Rickman
Dennis Rickman was the son of Den Watts and Paula Rickman, brother of Vicki and father of Dennis Jr. Backstory Dennis, the product of a fling between Paula Rickman and "Dirty" Den Watts in 1974, makes his first appearance is in handcuffs, as he is on day release from prison to attend his mother's funeral. His introduction as a full-time character is marked by a fight with Phil Mitchell, in which he floors Phil with a single punch. Storylines 2003-2005 Dennis appears in handcuffs on April 2003, as he is on day release from prison to attend his mother's funeral. It soon transpires that he was the product of a fling between his teenaged mother Paula, and her adult ex-lover Den Watts. The discovery of his existence comes after Sharon discovers that she has a brother through her adoptive father Den Watts and another woman during the 1970s. Sharon was aware that her brother was called Dennis Rickman and that he too grew up in Walford. [Slater informs her t]hat there was a Mr Rickman who lived locally and worked as a taxi driver, but he and his wife had both died and their daughter was living alone in their house. Sharon soon locates the house but discovers that Paula has died. It is gradually revealed that he was neglected as a child by his mother and abused by a succession of her boyfriends, and spent some time living in a children's home. Den was unaware that he had a son, and by the time Dennis meets Den's daughters Sharon and Vicki, 14 years have passed since Den disappeared and supposedly died as a result of a shooting on a canal towpath. His introduction as a full-time character on 1 May 2003 is marked by a fight with Phil Mitchell, in which he floors Phil with a single punch. This launches a rivalry with Phil which continues when Phil reneged on an agreement to meet Dennis for a fight at Phil's garage by summoning several of his friends, who give Dennis a severe beating when Phil walks out. Dennis infuriates Phil by seducing his sister Sam Mitchell, his wife-to-be Kate Morton (who is a former flame of Dennis's) and his daughter's nanny, Joanne Ryan. Dennis sees East End gangland lord Jack Dalton as a father figure as he worked for him since his teens, collecting debts amongst other things, and his prison stint is due to working for Jack. After Dennis's release, Jack orders Phil to kill Dennis after he becomes independent of him. However, Dennis ends up killing Jack in a shooting next to a railway line, but not before Jack reveals that Den survived the 1989 shooting, and that the body found in the canal a year later was in fact that of another local gangster who had been murdered on Dalton's orders for failing to kill Den. Dennis later tracks down Den's former mistress Jan Hammond and finds out that Den fled to Spain. He flies out to Spain and finds the address where Den is now believed to be living, but lacks the courage to knock on the door and find out. He later reveals all too Sharon, but she refuses to believe that her father is still alive. The rivalry with Phil is concluded by Dennis's father Den when he returns from Spain in September 2003, confirming the theory which Dennis had uncovered a few weeks earlier. Den and Dennis trick Phil into committing an armed robbery at a local factory. They then abscond with the escape ladder and most of the cash, though Den leaves Phil with a few stolen notes and a gun to incriminate him. The feud brings Dennis closer to his father. After killing Jack Dalton, Dennis remains friends with Dalton's second-in-command, Andy Hunter, and is left the bookmakers in Andy's will after his death at the hands of Johnny Allen in February 2005. Dennis has a passionate fling with Den's adopted daughter Sharon Watts on the eve of Den's return but finds himself rejected when Den replaces him. They resume their affair in secret but Den cannot accept a relationship between his children and plots to split them up. Den taunts Dennis with the insinuation that someone had sexually abused him while he was in a children's home, successfully provoking Dennis into accidentally hitting Sharon. A guilt-ridden Den later apologises and explains his reasons for not wanting his son and daughter together, because he wants both of them in his life and he cannot have that if they are sleeping together. Den then tries to explain to Dennis that his feelings for Sharon are simply misguided due to the abuse he suffered as a child, which leaves Dennis confused and he decides to break up with Sharon in order to have a proper father-son relationship. Despite Sharon's heartache, the family reform their strong bond, including the introduction of Den's new wife Chrissie Watts, who follows him back to England from Spain a few months later. Dennis moves in with Zoe Slater but cannot reciprocate her love and Sharon seduces him again. They continue their affair in secret behind Zoe and Den's backs, and they become sick of sneaking around and they plan to leave on Christmas Day. Den, however, had spotted them kissing on Christmas Eve. When they announce that they are in love and going to America together on Christmas Day, Zoe announces that she is pregnant. Dennis does not want to be an absent father to the baby, so Sharon leaves without him. He stays with Zoe but refuses to sleep with her. She is desperate to get pregnant for real and resorts to sleeping with Den. Dennis eventually began to feel love for Zoe and looked forward to a life with her and the baby. However, when Dennis catches her and Den in bed and discovers she was never pregnant at all, he leaves but not before informing Chrissie about her and Den. Kill Count Jack Dalton-July 2003: Shot Total: 1 Shannis Dennis has a passionate fling with Den's adopted daughter Sharon on the eve of Den's return but finds himself rejected when Den replaces him. They resume their affair in secret but Den cannot accept a relationship between his children and plots to split them up. Den taunts Dennis with the insinuation that someone had sexually abused him while he was in a children's home, successfully provoking Dennis into accidentally hitting Sharon. A guilt-ridden Den later apologises and explains his reasons for not wanting his son and daughter together, because he wants both of them in his life and he cannot have that if they are sleeping together. Den then tries to explain to Dennis that his feelings for Sharon are simply misguided due to the abuse he suffered as a child, which leaves Dennis confused and he decides to break up with Sharon in order to have a father-son relationship. Despite Sharon's heartache, the Watts reform their strong bond, including the introduction of Den's new wife Chrissie. Dennis moves in with Zoe Slater but cannot reciprocate her love and Sharon seduces him again. They continue their affair in secret behind Zoe and Den's backs they become sick of sneaking around and they plan to leave on Christmas Day. When they announce that they are in love and going to America together, Zoe, desperate to keep Dennis, announces that she is pregnant. Dennis does not want to be an absent father to the baby, so Sharon leaves without him. He stays with Zoe but refuses to sleep with her. She is desperate to get pregnant for real and resorts to sleeping with Den. Dennis catches them in bed and leaves after informing Chrissie about Den and Zoe. Sharon "Rickman" Dennis and Sharon return as a couple, after several months away and demand to see Den. Dennis sees through Chrissie's story that Den has left her for another woman but drops the matter to spare Sharon's feelings. Dennis and Sharon go on to marry, and following this, they learn that Sam Mitchell had exhumed their father's body from his grave in the cellar of The Queen Victoria public house. Den was murdered by Chrissie after she, Zoe and Sam confronted him about his manipulation of lies regarding the three of them (Den had tricked Sam into selling him The Queen Victoria). Chrissie had also lured Sharon back to overhear Den's confessions so that Den would lose the one person in his life that he truly loved. Den attacked Chrissie and Zoe hit Den with a doorstop to stop him. Den then grabbed Chrissie who delivered a fatal blow, leaving Zoe to believe she had killed him. The three women then buried his body in the basement. Dennis and Sharon bring Chrissie to justice and sell The Queen Victoria back to the Mitchells, apparently concluding the Watts/Mitchell feud. "We did it" On Christmas Day 2005, Sharon is admitted to hospital with suspected food poisoning, but finds out she is pregnant, despite the previous belief that she was infertile. They prepare to leave on New Year's Eve to start a new life in the United States. Sharon does not tell Dennis that Johnny has threatened to kill him if they have not gone by midnight, but she confides in Phil, who then uses Dennis as a weapon against Johnny. Phil tells Dennis about Johnny threatening Sharon and also that Johnny had murdered Andy. Although Dennis realises Phil was manipulating him, he takes the bait anyway and beats Johnny to the brink of death. Johnny begs for help as he thinks he will die, so Dennis tosses him a mobile phone and says if he can reach it, he will live. Johnny is able to reach the phone and instead of calling for medical assistance, he contacts a henchman to murder Dennis as revenge for his beating. After cleaning his hands of Johnny's blood, Dennis makes his way towards the Albert Square Gardens where the locals are setting up fireworks, to meet Sharon. As they lock eyes, Dennis is stabbed and collapses, dying in Sharon's arms. His last words are "we did it" in reference to their unborn son who was born six months later and named Dennis in honour of his father. It is later revealed that Dennis was killed by Danny Moon. Character Appearances * Dennis Rickman - List of appearances Gallery Dennis Rickman and Sharon Watts (29 August 2005).jpg|Dennis and Sharon (29 August 2005) Dennis and Sharon Wedding (29 August 2005).jpg|Dennis and Sharon (29 August 2005) 42195212_270595636894787_1431012918966616064_n.png|Dennis Rickman - Name Card Category:Characters Category:Male Characters Category:Main Characters Category:Past Characters Category: Psychopathic Characters Category:Rickman Family Category:Watts Family Category:2003 Arrivals Category:2005 Marriages Category:2006 Deaths Category:2006 Departures Category:Murder Victims Category:Villains Category:Killers Category:Deceased Characters Category:The Firm